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Well done Richard. Your patience saved some money. The Pathe News Fiat is a nice model. It always fetches a good price and the price you paid is very reasonable.

It has been more than two years since I bought my last Foden. Today this rare 503 second type export version arrived. It is French blue with light blue hubs and a burnt orange Tailboard. I bought it from QDT, some of you must have seen it. Both model and box are unusual.

The model has a burnt orange body. On my first and second type Foden with Tailboard in violet blue and orange, the orange body is much brighter. I tried to make a photo showing the difference, but the difference in reality is more striking. (Jan, I miss your photo quality and experience! )

The box is the first blue covered box for a second type Foden I have seen branded as Dinky Supertoys. Also on the left side of the label only English text is written whereas on the normal label the model is described in three languages.

The export box has a date stamp on the outside bottom of LH 10 3. Made in October 1953. It has a Hudson Dobson label and a price of 2,75 is scribbled on it.

Not visible on the picture is that the box has been relabeled. I would love to see the other label, but that will remain a mystery.

QDT informed me that a fellow collector from the UK contacted them. He bought a similar Foden in the USA some 25 years ago.

That confirms to me that there was a gap in my collection that I was not aware of.

This little vehicle arrived today from Australia. I must admit I paid over the odds for it because I was hoping it might be the SADF version. But, I know there was also a "regular" green version, a bit darker and glossier than olive drab. So, I'm not really sure which I have here!

Jonathan--Maybe Jan can comment here, as he and some others seem to have several of the post war versions. That is a nice find, and I am not sure about the color. My only comment would be, that since it has ridged wheels, is is not immediately post-war, but could be a few years later. Not sure what era those South African versions were built.....hopefully, someone else will chime in.

Does a SADF version really exist? In my opinion there are two shades of post-war green, the gloss olive drab one and mid-green. Possibly there is confusion about the olive drab army green and this regular gloss olive green finish. Jonathan, hard to see on your picture which shade of green yours is. A photo of my olive drab one below, as well as a Vectis picture of the mid-green finish, an early post-war example. Other contributors here may have better information. Kind regards, Jan

All military Dinky Toys made for the SADF that I have seen, have green painted hubs, not black. I do not know whether or not a SADF Mechanical Horse and Wagon was made. I have never seen one, but it could exist. I would expect it to have green hubs.

Gentlemen, thank you all for the comments. In looking at past sales, Jan's nice photos, and Rob's comment about wheel colours, I have to conclude that even if there was an SADF version of this model, the one I purchased isn't it!

I was just believing what I wanted to believe, and in any case should have held out for a sample in nicer condition. But as purchasing errors go, a minor one, so I won't be grumpy about it :)

Jonathan----What is amazing is the accumulated knowledge of Dinky Toys on this site; I knew you would get some quick responses back, and at least you now know the likely status of your model, and a vintage Dinky like that is worth having.
Best regards, Terry

It may have been snowing Dinky Toys where Richard lives, but it has been pouring Dinky Toys Down Under where we live! Although keep it to yourselves and don't mention it to my Better Half!!

Here they are:

A single lot, but what interested me was the 259 Fire Engine. It is shod with the uncommon silver cast hubs that now completes my collection of three, the others having spun hubs and red plastic hubs. Did I say three? Well, there may be others out there have casting changes, so here we go again!

Next out of the post office box was,

Yes, another 192 De Soto Fireflite! And, another 193! When will this stop? Actually the De Soto has slight differences to the others I have acquired in the red and yellow plain boxes. Haven't as yet diagnosed the 193 but it is an early issue before the casting changes that deleted the petrol cap.

The next one was something unusual,

A 286 Ford Transit Fire Appliance mounted on a wooden plinth. The label is different to those I have seen, unless the label changed at some point in time. As this model was a salesman's sample, it is possible it was a pre-production version produced quickly as a selling aid with the label changing by the time the 286 went into full production. I am sure Jacques will have an answer!

The next is French Dinky and normally I do not collect these, but as bidding was very low, I felt pity on the little fellow, and the rest is history!

This 813 AMX with 155mmABS Gun was still complete with its little camouflage netting and the condition of the box and model is superb. What is even nice is the small detachable extension to one of the inner flaps that could be used by the seller.

The last model from this auction house is:

yet another 642 Pressure Refueller. This one is the first I have found that has BOTH inner protection pieces of cardboard, together with the model itself being totally mint - I could not find one tiny loss of paint anywhere - most unusual.

Now, from another source are the following:

Another model whose condition cannot be faulted, a 164 Vauxhall Cresta Saloon Even the box is in great shape. Reminded me of what my original Vauxhall Cresta looked like!

And then the next package contained,

another 192 De Soto Fireflite!! Here we go again. Packaged in the red and yellow plain box, this model in Dove Grey and Muskatel maroon is another link in the changes to the casting for this model. With it also including suspension, it has the outline for the petrol cap, whereas all the other models I have obtained packaged in the red and yellow plain box have this feature omitted. This will be included in the De Soto topic later. This model and its box is in impeccable condition, and the first really nice example in this colour scheme to be added to my collection.

The final model needs no introduction, yet another 965 Euclid Rear Dump Truck. The auction house did not mention one major problem with this lot, and another associated with its production. The model has windows, and here it is, and I wonder who can come up with the answers!

3) the back wheels (hubs) are mounted reversed, what is not common for this model.

You could say that anything what could going wrong with this model has gone wrong. But ... it is therefore a valuable example to have in your collection. You don't want to miss it. If I have given the correct answers, what is my bonus?

Well, it is good that someone knows all the correct answers! Top marks to you on all accounts!

Yes you are indeed correct, starting with the tyres. Both the tyres on the left side as you have correctly stated, have been reversed when the tread pattern should point towards the front, in the same manner as all tractors. The forward facing tread or inverted "V" pushes mud away from the tyre and not under it. Strangely the tyres on the right side are both facing the correct way. However, I put the R-15 up on a hoist and reversed both the tyres on the left side, so things are as they should be! No problem with the tyres, as after checking their flexibility, they were easily removed, reversed, and then placed back on the same hub and reinflated!

The Box - yes, another correct answer! The box should be the later blue-striped with the wording DINKY SUPERTOYS in italics, thus, DINKY SUPERTOYS. The box has the Inspection code of DW1255 - almost five years BEFORE window glazing was added to Dinky Toys and Supertoys. Fortunately, I have a model in an incorrect box as shown in the 965 Topic, and the models can have their boxes swapped, as they match the relevant box Inspection Data. So, we had a recognised collector who innocently provided a box for his Euclid with window glazing, but unfortunately, he selected the incorrect box! I think we are all guilty with doing this, so care has to be taken! This is the model in my collection that does not match its box. (The complete picture can be found in the Euclid Topic, http://dtcawebsite.com/node/1027?page=2.) The model/box is second row, first one.)

And finally, the rear wheel on the visible side of the photograph is reversed, which is what originally attracted me to this model. However, for some unknown reason, again someone was chatting to their neighbour, but the rear wheel on the other side is the correct way! So you got that one right too!

I will have to think hard and long as to your bonus!!

Now to Jacques' reply.

I do have egg on my face, and it goes to show when one is writing about a model, the model should really be on the desk in front, and not "out the back". You are 100% correct in that the label has faded, as the label on the other side has not faded as badly. No doubt, the model spent a lot of time in the salesman's car during which it was exposed to sunlight. Never mind, I guess the fading adds to the character of the model - or sayest thou to convince thine self!

I'll leave this high-level Euclid discussion to the only two specialists in the world, present on this forum

Extremely good sales in Houten, yesterday, enabled me to afford to buy two virtually mint/boxed Austin Vans, replacements for my lesser quality Shell-BP and Raleigh vans, which have been in the collection for 35 and 33 years respectively. This fitting in my collecting policy of continuously upgrading the quality of my collection. The ones to be replaced, in the foreground, show deficiencies as paint chipping and transfer quality is concerned, and their boxes wanting. To be sold soon. I am so happy with the bright and shiny replacements! Kind regards, Jan

There may be a variation on the Shell / BP Austin van but this is not confirmed. All of them had a non domed rear axle which could slip away. A tiny bit of zamac has been added for the Nestlè and Raleigh vans and may be also for the late Shell / BP. See picture above.

Could some one confirm that this variation exists for the Shell / BP ?

An other variation is that the base plate is first stamped with the reference 470 and later without. I am looking for a picture of the base plate without the reference number.

Exciting stuff, Richard! Especially the Mercedes Racing Car with metal wheels and the tiny Fiat. But the Constellation in TWA livery is very special too ... One could make an endless range of different airline finishes like this. Kind regards, Jan

The book "Les Dinky Toys Français 1934 - 1940" does mention the front grille variation (page 119 - § 3) but not the one for the front axle posts but I do not have any pictures to illustrate these variations. Do you have both models so that we can make the pictures during our next meeting ?